The applicant claims and requests a foreign priority, through the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industry Property, based on a patent application filed in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) with the filing date of Dec. 29, 2000, with the application number 20-2000-0036946, by the applicant. (See the Attached Declaration)
The present invention relates to an orthodontic treatment system. More particularly, the invention relates to an orthodontic bracket positioning system for a lingual (invisible) orthodontic treatment that enables a simultaneous bracket positioning in a simple format.
An orthodontic treatment to improve the alignment of the teeth in the patients mouth generally includes a direct bracket bonding method and an indirect bracket bonding method. For the direct bonding, a plurality of brackets are bonded on target teeth sides within an orthodontic patient""s oral cavity. For the conventional indirect bonding, the orthodontic brackets are initially attached to a plaster model with eye-watching to realize a more precise bracket position and then transferred into the oral cavity to bond the brackets onto target teeth sides. However, it is not easy to get an accurate bracket position even on the plaster model especially in lingual sides without using any kind of instrument.
In an effort to improve accuracy of the lingual bracket positioning, Korea Patent Application No. 1998-008587 and subsequent Korea Utility Model Application No. 1999-30664 have been disclosed by the present inventor where an elongated slot is formed along an edge portion of a horizontal metal plate. FIG. 5 shows a brief mechanism of a conventional bracket positioner according to the above Korea Utility Model. As shown therein, the conventional bracket positioner includes a metallic plate 50 having side slots 51 and a front hole 51xe2x80x2. Side bracket holders 54 having connection openings 52 are engaged to the slots 51. A front bracket holder 54 is engaged to the hole 51xe2x80x2 with an opening 52xe2x80x2 thereof. Brackets 57 are engaged to slots 55, 56 of each bracket holder 53, 54.
However, the brackets 57 cannot be simultaneously bonded on target teeth so separate adjustments have been disadvantageously required for positions and angles. Further, possibility of torque errors has still remained high. Especially, it has been difficult to form an arc outline along target teeth when applied to a straight wire technique.
The present invention is contrived to overcome the conventional disadvantages and others. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an orthodontic bracket positioning system that enables a simultaneous bracket positioning by use of a simplified single form of bracket positioning plate. Another object is to allow the plate to become adjustable sidewise so that patients with wide or narrow arcs of teeth alignment can be treated by simply narrowing or widening a hollow formed through the plate.
To achieve the above-described objects, the orthodontic bracket positioning system according to the present invention comprises a plate having a bridge. The plate is defined by a first side portion and a second side portion to form a hollow therebetween. The first and second side portions are connected to each other by the bridge. An outer edge line of the plate contains therein the bridge, the first and second side portions. The system also includes first and second connectors each having a front end and a rear end. The first and second connectors are rotatably engaged to each other between the front and rear ends thereof. The first connector front end is rotatably connected to the first side portion and the second connector front end is rotatably connected to the second side portion of the plate.
In an embodiment, an actuator is engaged to said each rear end of the first and second connectors to control a relative rotation of the first and second connectors so as to subsequently either widen or narrow the hollow, whereby a bracket attachment from the outer edge line to inner sides of target teeth for an orthodontic treatment is accomplished in an easy, simple and simultaneous format. For a better performance, the orthodontic bracket positioning system comprises a frame having a control arm to facilitate the bracket attachment. The control arm is detachably engaged to the actuator for accuracy and stabilization of the bracket attachment.
The actuator includes a support having a mid portion, a first end and a second end. The first and second ends are sequentially engaged to the respective rear ends of the first and second connectors so a rotation of the support enables the rear ends of the first and second connectors to become either closer to or farther from each other. The support is threaded on and along the first and second ends thereof such that helical threadings of the threaded first and second ends are opposed to each other in direction.
Advantages of the orthodontic bracket positioning system are numerous in that: (1) the plate serving as a bracket positioner enables a simultaneous bracket alignment on inner sides of a patient""s teeth by forming the same in a whole structure while substantially decreasing requirement of angle or position adjustments; (2) the hollow formed throughout the plate allows each side portion of the plate to relatively become either narrower or wider by an easy manipulation of the actuator, thereby enabling the plate to easily become adjustable to different people each having a different size of oral cavity; and (3) a conventional difficulty in process of arc-wiring along the inner sides of the patient""s teeth during application of a straight wire technique is easily overcome by bracket positioning stabilization realized by the simplified, simultaneous bracket positioning format, further decreasing occurrences of uneven torque on the patient""s teeth.
Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.